


light from the darkness

by BlackCats



Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-29
Updated: 2013-09-29
Packaged: 2017-12-27 22:53:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/984594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackCats/pseuds/BlackCats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ghostly touches, blurred realities, and the sleepless nights of Mukuro Ikusaba.<br/>(Naegi, who can grow flowers in dark places.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	light from the darkness

There was a voice murmuring in her mind, and Mukuro turned over in her sleep, frustrated.

_“Muku-chan, why are you ignoring me?”_

_You’re not real._

The voice was persistent, low and deceptively sweet. Every syllable was strung lovingly with a deadly poison that she had once craved—heavy, burning, _destructive_.

_“Not real?”_

Just hearing it stirred up the old longings, but even in her dreams, she resisted.

 _You’re not_ here _. You’re somewhere else. Far away from me. I_ know _you are._

She laughed in reply, phantom fingers trailing across Mukuro’s skin, nails scraping her shoulders, pressing in at the back of her neck, dragging forth a soft groan that she simply couldn’t hold in. Of _course_ she knew about that spot. She _always_ knew everything about her. There was a smile on her face that the Cheshire Cat would have adored, and her thoughts began to skirt the edges of nightmares.

All her weaknesses, her strengths, her imperfections…She knew every single one of her tics.

 _“Far away? I’m_ always _with you, Mukuro!”_ Her lips pressed a searing kiss to her throat, tracing a heart over and over on her collarbone. Girlish giggles were erupting out of her, as if she had heard the most amusing thing. _“We’re sisters, aren’t we? I’m a part of you.”_

_I-I…You’re not…_

A matter of seconds was all it had taken for her to shake her resolve.

There was a dangerous glint in her eyes now, narrowed and cruel as the curve of a predator’s claws. Her breath scorched Mukuro’s ear, viciously cutting into her with every word. _“Turning on me back at Hope’s Peak, freeing the other students…It’s the only thing you’ve ever done_ right _. Are you pleased with yourself? Hmm?”_

She held her face, forcing their eyes to meet. There was an empty, bleak light shining in that desolate gaze. It seemed to burn with its own rules and laws in a world that no one else had ever known. Mukuro was unable to look away as a luxurious kiss was forced upon her, and she shivered badly, because she knew her resistance was only a temporary thing. Junko’s eyes were slits as she hummed with capricious contentment once she felt the pressure returned, drawing her older sister’s lips between her teeth and biting down. She was rewarded with another groan.

At some point, she sat back, freeing her from her grip.

 _“Oh I’ve never_ known _such despair like your betrayal,”_ she breathed, torn between laughing again and crying. She apparently had settled upon displaying a smile as broken as she was—as everyone that came into contact with her often became.

She was no exception.

Mukuro couldn’t speak. Not even in her dreams, in her warring subconscious, in her heart that bravely went on beating for the friends she had never expected to make.

Junko cocked her head to the side and pouted cutely. _“When will you come back to me, Mukuro?”_  

_I…_

There was a knock at her door, and Mukuro’s eyes shot open before the response had even been wholly formulated. She grasped the sheets of her bed like a drowning man clutching a life preserver, a single shudder making its way from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes.

Lying there in the darkness of her room…she was afraid.

The nightmare had been so vivid that she was halfway convinced that it had been the real thing, somehow, as if her sister had become an enchantress and she was now ensorcelled into servitude yet again. Mukuro was not one to allow herself to crumble so easily, but she covered her face with her hands nonetheless, saying nothing, flat on her back and unwilling to adjust this fact.

Whoever it was bothering her at nearly 4 AM could—

“Ikusaba-san?”

She lifted her head, slowly, reluctantly, staring at the door.

“Are…Are you awake, Ikusaba-san?”

She almost laughed. He sounded so tentative, though he could hardly blame him. Mukuro heaved a sigh too deep and too long for someone her age, forcing herself to her feet and approaching the only entry point in her Future Foundation assigned room.

The door was cracked open with little fanfare, and she went back to her bed immediately after.

Mukuro’s face was buried into the pillow she was squeezing, forcing an air of tranquility about her through a series of steady breaths. The shadows of the night were doing her no favors though, and she heard Junko muttering to her in amusement.

 _“Oooh of_ course _you’d talk to Naegi-kun! He’s the one you actually_ care _about, isn’t he? Even though you used to claim to love me sooo much!”_

 _I still love you,_ she said automatically. _Just…things have changed._

 _“No…”_ Her voice carried an air of authentic sadness for once. _“Only you have.”_

The door closed itself with a nearly inaudible click. She heard him come closer and made no move to regard him, to stop him, to even acknowledge his presence. The mattress eventually dipped down just a bit, and he spoke to her softly.

“Are you…still having those dreams, Ikusaba-san?”

She shifted slightly and opened one eye, at last taking notice of his presence. He was a scrawny thing, she thought, with too-big and too-trusting green eyes. That strand of hair that poked straight up was such a silly addition…

“…How did you know?”

“Intuition?” He offered weakly. Seeing that it wasn’t going to fly with her, Naegi dipped his head sheepishly. “Ever since you told me about them a few days ago, I just wanted to make sure you were all right…Wh-When I came by your room, I thought I heard a sound, and…”

 _“Of_ course _he heard a sound!”_ Junko cackled. _“You_ always _make a sound when I get started on you.”_ She was reclining behind him, fingers hovering just over his head, smirking with enough wickedness to turn a true witch greener with envy.

Mukuro felt her chest tighten.

He pressed the tips of his fingers together, thoroughly apologetic for some reason. “I know you’re really tough, Ikusaba-san, I just wanted to…make sure you were all right?”

The soldier watched Junko twirl her fingers around the tip of Naegi’s cowlick. She stuck her tongue out and bared her teeth in the grim mockery of a smile, gauging her older sister’s reactions carefully.

Endeavoring to ignore her, Mukuro simply focused on Naegi’s face instead. “I appreciate the concern.”

He blinked at that, scrambling for words. “S-So…did I wake you up?”

“No.”

Giggling. _“Liar.”_

Naegi glanced over at the singular bedside lamp that Mukuro had flicked on for them, carefully picking his next words. “Are you all right? Please, Ikusaba-san, after everything you’ve done for everyone…” He pressed a hand over his heart. “I want to help you all I can…!”

 _“How sickening,”_ Junko observed with a disgusted curl of her lip.

Mukuro drew herself up and looked at him. He met her gaze with a sort of warmth that she had never known before meeting him, and she allowed a wry smile to cross her face.

“I’m not ‘all right’. Not that I’ve ever been…”

Naegi blinked at her questioningly, the inquiry clear.

Junko was making faces. Mukuro fastened all her attention on the boy across from her, and said the only thing she could think of to banish—or at least severely annoy—the phantom menace that was haunting her even when she was awake.

“…Will you…stay…with me?” The words were like barbs leaving her throat, betraying her discomfort, scratching her voice and making each sentence harder than the last. She balked instinctively at putting herself in a vulnerable situation, but…

No, she didn’t need to worry around him.

“Just for tonight,” she added, looking away. “I think it’d…help.”

Naegi was obviously flustered by this proposal. He scratched the bridge of his nose, face red in the dusky glow of the lamp, but he nodded with astonishing conviction. “S-Sure…”

 _“Isn’t this cute?”_ She was melancholy now. _“My big sister doesn’t need me to chase the bad thoughts away anymore.”_ Rough laughter soon followed this statement, raucous as a murder of crows. Still…Mukuro saw it.

A furious gleam in her sister’s eyes.

He was already in his sleeping attire, and Mukuro just rolled onto her side so Naegi could hesitantly settle beside her. He seemed thoroughly uncertain and frightened, as if he was afraid of doing something wrong.

Mukuro’s lips quirked up at the corners. “You can turn off the lamp.”

“Oh, y-yeah. Right.” Off it went. “Ikusaba-san…I hope you can sleep peacefully now.”

She closed her eyes. “…Thank you.”

Junko was still there, but where, she didn’t know. Her malevolence seeped into everything like water into cloth, dragging it down with the weight of despair. Similarly, Mukuro could sense the anxious tension in Naegi. She didn’t want him to be concerned. The specter in her head was of no danger to him.

She would not allow it to be.

Mukuro pressed her face into the line of his shoulder, sighing so softly that she’d not be surprised if he hadn’t even heard. He seemed to be caught off-guard by this—she felt it in the momentary tightness of his muscles—but he eased up quickly.

Naegi got started on the first syllable of her name, but allowed it to fade away unfinished. With a great degree of caution, he shifted onto his side and pulled her into an embrace.

She stiffened immediately. However, when Naegi panicked and moved to let go, Mukuro spontaneously chose to maintain the contact. Curling into him and the warmth he offered, her thoughts began to enter a gentle lull.

_“A disappointment like always.”_

_I know. I’m sorry._

In her mind’s eye, Junko regarded her balefully.

_I’ll make it up to you another way._

She scoffed and tossed a hand dismissively, quieting down and fading so much that she was almost gone.

Almost.

An unfamiliar motion caused Mukuro to pull away just a tad from the verge of sleep. She realized distantly that Naegi was stroking her hair. His touch was exceedingly gentle…as was everything about him.

There in the darkness where he couldn’t see, she smiled and closed her eyes once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Considering I wrote this at around 3 AM, I hope it's not too dreadfully OOC. Somewhat going off of the DR novel that also diverts canon in a similar fashion. I hope everyone enjoyed it!


End file.
